Her Daughter
by Shelecki
Summary: A little girl comes into the precinct, looking for help. As her story unravels, so does the secret past of everyone's favorite red-haired ADA. Disclaimer: I don't own SVU! [TRIGGER WARNING: sexual assault/rape]
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Law and Order: SVU fanfic! I hope y'all like it! I've changed the timeline a little bit. In this story, Casey is about 27/28 years old, and she's been with the SVU since she graduated law school. All of the original characters are still at the precinct, and Nick and Amanda are partners. I hope you enjoy this fanfic, and please review! :)**

* * *

As Special Victims Unit Detective Olivia Benson leaves the precinct for the night, she sees a tiny girl going into the building. "Excuse me, where is the Special Victims Unit?" the tiny girl asks. Olivia stops and looks at the young child.

The girl is about three feet tall and can't weigh more than 30 pounds. She looks malnourished, and she has a large, fresh bruise under her left eye. She clearly looks like a victim of abuse.

There's something about the girl that makes Olivia wonder. The child has an uncanny resemblance to someone she knows, but she can't quite put her finger on who the girl looks like.

"I'm Detective Olivia Benson. I work for the Special Victims Unit. I can take you there," Olivia tells the girl. The girl gives Olivia a small half-smile. "Thank you," she says politely. Olivia leads the girl to the Special Victims Unit.

"It's very late, Sweetie. Why aren't you at home, sleeping?" Olivia asks the small child. The little girl looks at the floor. "I need to talk to the police," she answers. Olivia raises an eyebrow. "I can help you," she offers. The little girl follows Olivia into the juvenile interview room.

Olivia grab a notepad and sits down in front of the girl. "Okay, sweetie, can you tell me your name and age?" she asks. The girl nods. "My name is Gabriella Elizabeth Novak, but everyone calls me Gabby. I'm five," she tells Olivia.

When she hears the girl's last name, it clicks for Olivia. The kid is a dead ringer for ADA Casey Novak. The only major difference between the two is their hair color. Casey has red hair, while the girl has blonde hair.

"So, Gabby, can you tell me how you got here?" Olivia asks. Gabby shrugs. "I walked here," she answers. Olivia jots something down on her notepad. "How did you know how to get here?" she asks.

"At school, they gave us iPads. There are special apps on the iPads that the teachers use to track our progress and give us schoolwork. I looked up directions on my iPad. My biology teacher noticed this bruise under my eye, and she asked how I got it. I told her that I wasn't allowed to tell her how I got hurt. She asked me if someone was hurting me, and I told her that I couldn't answer her question. So, she gave me a card with this address written on it. She told me that if someone is hurting me, then it's not normal and that I should tell someone about it. Then, she said not to show or tell anyone about it. I thought about what she said, and I looked up the address and came here," Gabby tells Olivia, watching closely as the detective quickly scribble what she's saying on her notepad.

"Biology? iPads? What school do you attend?" Olivia asks, shocked.

Gabby takes a business card out of her backpack and hands it to Olivia. The detective looks at the card. "Morewood? Isn't that a private school for teenage prodigies?" she asks with a raised eyebrow. Gabby nods. "They recruited me. They made special arrangements for me to attend the school even though I'm only five," she tells Olivia.

It all makes sense to Olivia now. At first she was extremely confused as to how a five-year-old was able to come to the precinct all by herself. This isn't an ordinary five-year-old. She's dealing with an intellectually advanced child prodigy with a mental capacity that far exceeds most people four times her age.

"So, why are you here?" Olivia asks, writing something down. Gabby sighs and looks at the floor. "My parents have been doing bad things to me," she whispers. Olivia stops writing and looks up. "What are they doing to you?" she asks. Gabby bites her lip, trying to hold back the tears that are stating to prick at her eyes. She pulls out a portfolio of photos from her backpack and slides it towards Olivia.

Olivia opens the portfolio and looks through it. There are overly airbrushed head shots of Gabby with tons of makeup caked on. There are photos of the girl dressed in skimpy clothing on stage, performing in pageants. Some of the poses that the child is in make Olivia want to vomit. There are pictures of Gabby accepting awards, crowns, and trophies.

"When I don't win, they punish me," Gabby says. "They hit me and make me do things that I don't want to do."

Olivia looks at the child again, astonished.

"What do they make you do?" Olivia asks. Gabby wipes her eyes. She takes the notepad and pen that Olivia was using and begins writing. When she finishes writing, she shows Olivia what she wrote. Olivia reads what Gabby has written down.

* * *

 _They make me do "special" pageants. There are lots of men in the audience, and the people who are competing in the pageants don't wear a lot of clothes. The competitors have to do inappropriate routines. When you win, you don't get a prize. Instead, you are the prize. If I win, a strange man takes me away for a long time. It's usually a different man each time. I have to do "special" performances. The man makes me take off my clothes, and he touches my private parts. Then he hurts me. He puts his private parts in my private parts. My daddy was the first man to put his private parts in mine. The first time he hurt me was on my fourth birthday._

* * *

Olivia stares at the little girl. "When was your most recent 'special' pageant?" she asks. Gabby shifts uncomfortably in her seat and whimpers. "Last night. I was bleeding a lot. It really hurt! And my parents wouldn't take me to the doctor. My daddy whipped me in the face. Then, he locked me in the basement all night. My mom let me out this morning, so I could go to school. That's when my teacher asked about the bruise under my eye," she cries.

Olivia scribbles Gabby's information down on the notepad and finishes interviewing her. When the interview is over, she takes Gabby to Mercy Hospital to be examined.

Once Gabby is examined and DNA samples are taken, she is brought to the pediatric ward, where she'll be staying the night. Olivia talks to the doctor and goes back to the precinct. At the precinct, she makes a file for Gabby. After that, she finally goes home with Gabby's case weighing heavily on her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Huang!" Captain Donald Cragen calls out. FBI Special Agent, George Huang, looks up from his case files.

"Yes, Captain?" George says. Cragen walks over to the agent. "Head over to Mercy Hospital. There's a new victim that you have to speak to," he tells George.

"Alright," George says. He collects his files and locks them away in a filing cabinet. Then he heads out the door.

* * *

"Hey, Melinda! You wanted to see us?" Detective Amanda Rollins greets as she and Nick Amaro enter the morgue.

The Medical Examiner, Melinda Warner, turns around and greets the detectives. "Hi, guys. I finished the autopsy on your victim," she says.

Amanda and Nick walk over to the table where their latest victim lies, covered by a white sheet.

The victim, Shannon Rumafello, was only seven years old. The girl was somewhat well known in the beauty pageant circuit. She was the winner of the Little Miss Manhattan pageant a few weeks ago. Recently, she landed the role of Molly from the musical, _Annie,_ on Broadway. They found her curled up inside of a suitcase that was left at the hotel where her farewell pageant was being held.

"Shannon Elizabeth Rumafello. Only seven years old. She was raped, killed, then abandoned and stuffed into a suitcase," Melinda says sadly.

Amanda looks at the victim. "Do you know how she died?" she asks.

Melinda hands Amanda the victim's chart. "Strangulation?" Nick asks. "I didn't see any marks on her neck."

Melinda points to Shannon's neck. "They were covered up with makeup," she explains.

Amanda reads the Shannon's chart while Melinda tells her and Nick about what she found during the autopsy.

Once Melinda is finished explaining her findings, Amanda and Nick say goodbye and head to the Promenade Hotel, which is where the suitcase containing Shannon's body was found. They are going to investigate the crime scene and question witnesses.

* * *

"Hi, Sweetie. Remember me? I'm Olivia Benson, and this is my partner, Elliot Stabler. We're detectives," Olivia says, reintroducing herself and introducing Elliot to Gabby, who's still in the hospital. Elliot smiles reassuringly. Gabby politely waves to the detectives.

The moment Elliot see the little girl, they're shocked. The little girl has a striking resemblance to one of his and Olivia's good friends, ADA Casey Novak. The two have the same facial structure, eye color, and porcelain skin. The only difference between the little girl and Casey is their hair color. The little girl has blonde hair with extremely faint reddish highlights, whereas Casey has red hair.

Gabby extends her hand towards Elliot, and he shakes it. Her hospital bracelet rustles when she shakes Elliot's hand. "My name is Gabby. I'm five years old," she tells Elliot.

Olivia and Elliot smile. "Gabby, do you know why you're here?" Elliot asks.

Gabby nods. "I'm here because I came to the precinct yesterday and talked to Detective Benson." She looks down and fiddles with her hospital bracelet for a few seconds, then she looks back up at the detectives again. "When can I go back to rehearsals?" she asks.

Olivia raises an eyebrow. "Rehearsal? Are you in a play?" she asks.

Gabby nods. "I'm one of the Matildas at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway. But this week, I've been working with the cast of _Shrek the Musical_ at a different Broadway theatre. Both of their Young Fionas are sick, so they asked me to fill in for them," she tells the detective.

"My daughter, Elizabeth, loved performing," Elliot says with a smile.

"Speaking of rehearsals..." Olivia begins before she tells Gabby that, along with her biology teacher, several of her cast members have noticed the bruises on her body and how jumpy she is. "Gabby, I know you said that your father hurts you. Is there someone else hurting you?" she asks.

Gabby looks away from the detectives again. She stays silent, but she nods slowly.

"Yes."

"Sweetie, who's hurting you?" Olivia asks.

Gabby looks back at Olivia and Elliot. "Jason. Jason Killicks. He's the assistant director of _Shrek the Musical_ ," she tells the detectives.

"Why didn't you mention him when you were talking to me yesterday?" Olivia asks. Gabby shrugs. "Because I was scared, but then I thought it over last night. He isn't worth protecting. I don't want him to hurt anyone else, so I decided to tell you about him. I think he already hurt another girl," she answers. She goes back to fiddling with her hospital bracelet.

Olivia and Elliot ask Gabby to explain what Jason has been doing to her. Gabby begins to tell the detectives about Jason's abuse. She talks about how Jason hits her and beats her when she makes mistakes.

Olivia nods sympathetically and scribbles down what Gabby is saying.

"Has he touched you in a place that he shouldn't have?" Olivia asks. Gabby stops talking for a moment, before she whispers a barely audible "yes."

"What did he do?" Elliot asks.

Tears start to form in Gabby's eyes. "He..." she begins. She sniffles and wipes her eyes. She takes some deep breaths before continuing. "He touched my private parts. I told him to stop, but he said it's how he shows his love for me. Then he started to put his parts in my parts. It really hurt. I asked him if that's how all adults showed their love for kids, and I said that I was going to ask my mom, but he told me that the way he shows love is different from how other people show their love. Then he said that if I said anything or told anyone about it, he'd get me kicked out of the show, and he said that I'd end up like Shannon. I don't even know anyone named Shannon, but I think she's the other girl that Jason hurt," she tearfully explains.

Olivia wonders if Gabby's case has any connection to the case that Amanda and Nick are working on. She makes a mental note to herself to talk to Amanda and Nick about it as she writes down what Gabby tells her. "I promise, we are going to arrest this man, so he'll never be able to hurt you again," she promises sincerely. "If you ever need help, call 9-1-1 or call me."

Olivia hands Gabby her business card. Then, she and Elliot continue talking with Gabby for a little while, before they leave the hospital and go back to the precinct.

* * *

~ The Next Day ~

Casey enters the precinct. She walks over to Elliot Stabler's desk. "Hey, Elliot," she greets. Elliot looks up from the file that Melinda had given him. "Hey, Casey," he says.

"I've been assigned to your Broadway rape case," Casey tells Elliot. Elliot nods, focusing on his files again. He shuffles through his papers, trying to find Gabby's file.

Casey tells Elliot all the information she was given about the case. "We need to question the witnesses," she says. Elliot shrugs and looks up at Casey. "Nobody actually witnessed the rapes, but we did question the cast members that noticed the Gabby's bruises. We tried to contact Gabby's parents, but their phone had been disconnected. The suspect, Jason Killicks was nowhere to be found. The cast members all volunteered their DNA. O'Halloran is in the lab, testing the samples," he says.

Casey nods. "Well, then I need to talk to Gabby. Is she still at Mercy?" she asks. Elliot nods, "Yeah. Huang's there right now, talking to her."

Casey says goodbye and leaves the precinct.

* * *

As Casey arrives at Mercy Hospital, George Huang is leaving.

"Hey, George!" Casey greets with a polite smile and wave. George greets Casey, then she asks about Gabby.

"Gabby bears a striking resemblance to you. She is a very sweet, precocious little girl. Compared to most five-year-olds, she is extremely advanced for her age. It's almost like she has the mind and knowledge of an adult, but the body of a small child. She told me that she goes to Morewood, and she's currently performing on Broadway," George says to Casey.

Casey raises an eyebrow. She is clearly shocked. "Morewood?" she questions incredulously.

"She said that they recruited her. Gabby isn't an ordinary five-year-old. She's a genius, a child prodigy with a mental capacity that far exceeds most people who are four times older than her," George says. "I even called the school after speaking with Gabby. They confirmed that it was true. Gabby really did attend Morewood!"

Casey and George say goodbye. Then, Casey asks a nurse where Gabby's room is. Once given the girl's room number, she begins walking to Gabby's hospital room.


	3. Chapter 3

"Thank you," Casey says to the nurse who shows her where Gabby's room is. The nurse opens the door and lets Casey inside.

Gabby hears the door open. She looks up from her book and cautiously watches the door.

Casey enters the room with a small smile. "Hi, Gabby. I'm Casey Novak."

"We have the same last name," Gabby says.

At the same time, Casey and Gabby extend their hands towards each other. The two shake hands. When they touch, it's almost like they share an instant connection.

"What were you reading?" Casey asks, trying to break the ice. Gabby hands Casey her book. " _To Kill a Mockingbird_ ," she replies. Casey looks at the book's cover, before handing it back to Gabby. "This is one of my favorite books," she says with a smile.

"Detectives Olivia and Elliot told me about what happened to you," Casey says. She explains why she's at the hospital and what her job is. She asks Gabby questions about what happened. Gabby tells Casey everything that she told Olivia and Elliot.

"Ms. Novak?" Gabby says. Casey finishes jotting down Gabby's information, then looks at the small girl. "Yes, Gabby?" she responds.

"My father, Liam, always calls me 'Casey,'" Gabby says. "I kept telling him that my name is Gabby, but he just kept calling me 'Casey.' He said he does it because 'I'm just like my mommy.' He told me that he's gonna dye my hair red, so I'll look even more like my mommy. I forgot to tell Elliot and Olivia this," Gabby tells the ADA.

Casey furrows her brow.

"My mommy is named Lisa. She has black hair and grey eyes. I don't look like her at all, so I was really confused," Gabby continues.

Casey nods, showing that she's listening.

"But then I found something. I think it was my birth certificate. I asked my daddy if I could have it, and he just said, 'Sure. Whatever. Now go away, you little worm.' Will you please get me my backpack?" Gabby says.

Casey gets Gabby's backpack, which is resting on the windowsill. She places the bag in Gabby's lap.

Gabby unzips her backpack and rifles through it for a moment. She takes out a folder and opens it up. She carefully takes out a piece of paper - her birth certificate - and shows it to Casey.

Casey studies the birth certificate.

* * *

 ** _Gabriella Elizabeth Novak_**

 ** _2 lbs_**

 ** _12 inches_**

 ** _Born on December 31 at 6:37 am_**

 ** _Cambridge, Massachusetts_**

 ** _Father: Charles Richard Williams_**

 ** _Mother: Cassandra Elizabeth Novak_**

* * *

Seeing the birth certificate makes Casey's blood run cold. Her heart begins to pound. Her breathing becomes hitched.

"See? My mom's name is Lisa Marie Douglas. And my daddy's name isn't Charles Richard Williams. His name is Liam Michael Williams," Gabby says. She points to where her mother's name is listed on her birth certificate.

Casey just stares at the birth certificate. Her posture becomes rigid, and she starts shaking.

"Ms. Novak?" Gabby says, noticing Casey's sudden change in behavior.

Casey continues to stare at the birth certificate.

"Ms. Novak?" Gabby tries again.

No response.

"Ms. Novak!?" Gabby repeats at a higher volume.

Finally Casey snaps out of it. She flinches and looks at Gabby.

"Y-yes, Gabby?" Casey stammers.

"You look like a deer in the headlights. Are you okay?" Gabby asks, worriedly.

Casey slowly nods. "Y-yes, Gabby. I'm f-fine."

Gabby eyes Casey suspiciously, unconvinced that she's actually okay.

"Would you mind if I took this with me? I need to make a copy of it for your file," Casey asks.

"Okay. But please bring it back when you're finished. It's the only thing I have that connects me to my real mommy and daddy," Gabby says.

Casey thanks the young girl and says goodbye, before hastily making an exit.


	4. Chapter 4

Later that night, Casey reads Gabby's file again. She spreads everything in the file out on her desk. She looks over all the papers and studies the pictures of Gabby's injuries.

After a few minutes of studying Gabby's file, Casey gets up. She walks down the hall of her apartment and goes into her bedroom. She opens her closet and kneels on the floor. She feels around for the thing she's looking for. Finally, she finds it, a box buried under shoes and clothing. She carefully picks up the box and returns to her desk.

Back at her desk, Casey gently puts the box down.

The medium-sized box is black. There are no labels or designs on it, except or a simple 'X' drawn in silver Sharpie.

Casey closes her eyes and takes a small, shuddery breath. She removes the box's lid, her hands shaking. She places the lid next to the box, taking another small, shuddery breath.

Casey takes a file out of the box. She squeezes her eyes shut, tears threatening to fall. She slowly opens the file, forcing herself to look at it. She takes a photo out of the file and places it next to a picture of Gabby at the hospital

The photo is of Casey. Like Gabby, she too was in the hospital when the photo was taken. Her long red hair is tangled and disheveled. She sports a black eye and bruising all over her face.

Casey takes a shaky deep breath and studies the photos. George was right, she and Gabby did look extremely alike. They had the same facial and bone structure, same blue-green eyes, and the same button nose - just to name a few of their similarities.

The next thing that Casey takes out of the box is a laminated photo. She places the photo next to the photos of her and Gabby.

In this photo, there's a tiny premature baby, born at thirty weeks. Her eyes are closed, and she hasn't even been cleaned off yet.

Casey looks at the three pictures and tears form in her eyes. She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand and turns the photo over.

The back of the photo reads:

 ** _Gabriella Elizabeth Novak_**

 ** _2 lbs_**

 ** _12 inches_**

 ** _December 31st_**

Casey takes out one more photo. It's a photo of her holding the tiny baby.

Looking at the photos brings back painful memories. She remembers the agonizingly long and painful labor that she endured. She remembers her baby being taken away from her. She remembers waking up in a hospital bed and seeing her baby again. She remembers being told that her baby had died. All the things that had been pushed to the back of her mind start flooding back.

Casey tightly squeezes her eyes shut and takes deep breaths, trying to block out the flashbacks that she knew were coming.

 _Dammit, Casey! Relax! He hung himself_ _. He'll never be able to hurt you again. He can't hurt you._

Casey repeats the last sentence to her self over and over again.

 _He can't hurt you._

 _He can't hurt you._

 _He can't hurt you..._

Casey eventually staves off a panic attack. She quickly puts everything back in her black box and returns it to the back of her closet. She shuts her closet door and locks it. Then, she puts all of the papers and pictures back into Gabby's file and shoves it into her briefcase.

Casey goes back into her room. She changes into a mint green tank top and black yoga pants. She gets into her bed and curls up into a ball under the covers, just like she used to do when she got scared as a child.

Eventually, Casey falls into a fitful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

~ The Next Day ~

Casey walks into the precinct to bring Gabby's file to her office. She puts her tan trench coat on the back of her chair and sets her briefcase down on her desk. Today she is going to talk to Gabby about testifying against Jason Killicks in court.

Earlier this morning, Olivia called Casey and told her that she and Elliot found Jason and arrested him. Unfortunately, Detectives Odafin Tutuola and John Munch were unable to locate Lisa and Liam when they went to Gabby's house.

Even though her parents were still missing, Gabby had been discharged from the hospital this morning. Since she didn't want Gabby to get sent to a foster home, Olivia agreed to let the little girl stay with her. Ever since she came to the hospital, Gabby has stolen the heart of everyone she meets. All of her doctors and nurses and the detectives at the 16th precinct love Gabby. Since she still has to wait a few days before going back to rehearsals and performing, the detectives let Gabby hang out at the precinct because she doesn't bother anyone, and they'd be able to talk to her about her case whenever they needed to.

Casey heads to the Juvenile Interview Room, because she knows that's where George is talking to Gabby.

When she reaches the Juvenile Interview Room, Casey peeks in the window and sees Gabby and George talking. She knocks on the door. Gabby and George both turn towards the door. "Come in! We were just finishing up," George says.

Casey enters the room. As she passes by George, he whispers something to her.

"Casey, are you doing okay? Gabby said that you started to act strangely yesterday," George whispers.

Casey nods. "I'm fine. I was just having a off-day yesterday," she replies.

George accepts Casey's response and leaves the room.

"Hi, Ms. Novak!" Gabby greets. Casey smiles and takes a seat next to Gabby. "Hi, Gabby! You know, you can just call me Casey. You don't have to call me 'Ms. Novak'," she says.

"Okay, Ms. Novak- I mean Casey. Guess what!" Gabby says. "What?" Casey asks. Gabby gives Casey a small smile. "Dr. Huang told me that Olivia and Elliot caught Jason," she tells Casey.

"That's great!" Casey says genuinely. She places Gabby's file on the table.

"Gabby, do you think that you'd be willing to testify against Jason Killicks in court?"

Gabby looks at Casey unsurely. Her smile disappears. "No," she says quickly.

Casey looks at Gabby sadly. "Why don't you want to testify? Don't you want him to go to jail?" she asks.

Gabby's eyes get watery. A few tears roll down her cheeks. "Jason said that he'd kick me out of Matilda, and he threatened to kill if I told anyone about what he did to me. I'm not allowed to tell anyone," she says.

"Why did you tell Olivia and Elliot about what happened?" Casey asks softly.

Gabby sniffles and looks down at the ground, avoiding eye contact with Casey. "Because they're detectives. Whatever policemen and detectives say trumps whatever assistant directors say. Policemen and detectives protect and save people. Assistant directors tell people what to do and how to do it."

"What about Dr. Huang? You told him too."

"He's a doctor. Doctors also trump assistant directors. Doctors help people feel better, both emotionally, mentally, and physically."

Casey sighs. "Okay, that's understandable, but I'm not a detective, nor am I a doctor. Why'd you tell me about what Jason did to you?" she asks.

Gabby looks up at Casey and makes eye contact again.

"I'm not quite sure why I told you. For some reason, I just really trust you."

Casey smiles at Gabby. She puts a hand on the small girl's shoulder. "Thank you for trusting me. Gabby, I promise, I'd never do anything to hurt you or put you in danger. If you testify against Jason, he'll go to jail. He won't be able to hurt you again."

Gabby takes a deep breath. She thinks everything over.

"Okay. I'll do it. I'll testify against Jason."

Casey smiles at Gabby again. "You're very brave for doing this," she tells Gabby.

Gabby smiles back at Casey. "Thank you, Casey," she says.


	6. Chapter 6

"We need to go over your testimony," Casey says, opening Gabby's file. A photo falls out of the file. She and Gabby both reach down to pick up the picture. She tries to grab it, but Gabby picks it up before she can get a hold of it.

"Is this you?" Gabby asks, glancing at the picture as she hands it to Casey.

Casey folds the picture and shoves it into her pocket. "Umm, yes," she curtly replies to Gabby.

"Were you holding a baby?" Gabby asks.

"Yes."

"Why was there a picture of you holding a baby in my file?" Gabby asks.

Casey bites her lip. "I was um looking through some old photos, and um, I guess it just got mixed up."

"Do you have a baby?" Gabby asks, innocently.

Casey freezes. Her posture becomes rigid and her breathing becomes hitched.

Gabby notices that Casey is acting strangely again. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to!" she says quickly.

Casey sighs and looks at Gabby sadly.

"Yes, I do...well I did have a baby, a little baby girl. She would've been the same age as you."

Gabby nods, showing that she's paying attention. She looks at Casey sympathetically. "What happened to her?"

Casey takes a shaky breath. She looks down and stays quiet for a while.

"She was taken away from me right after she was born," Casey says, finally looking up at Gabby again.

Casey holds out her arm towards Gabby. "Come here, Kiddo," she says. Gabby gets up and goes to Casey. She takes Casey's hand and Casey gently places the girl in her lap. Gabby wraps her arms around Casey, resting her head on the ADA's shoulder. Casey cradles the small child.

Gabby is a lot smaller than Casey thought. This is the first time that she's ever seen Gabby standing up. Previously, she'd only seen the tiny girl in a hospital bed or sitting down.

Gabby is about three feet tall and can't weigh more than twenty-five pounds. She looks malnourished, and her limbs look like twigs that could be easily snapped in half with the slightest amount of force.

"Who took your baby away?" Gabby asks. She looks deeply into Casey's blue-green eyes.

Tears begin to form in Casey's eyes. She blinks back her tears and takes a deep breath. "I was engaged to a very bad man, and he hurt me like Jason hurt you," she tells Gabby.

"Why did he take your baby away?"

Casey sighs sadly. She takes another deep breath before answering Gabby's question.

"My fiancé didn't want me to have a baby. He didn't want to deal with all the responsibilities that came with being a father. I told him that I'd take care of the baby without him, but he didn't care. He also said that he didn't want walking, breathing proof of what he'd done to me. He forced me to give birth at home and after he called an ambulance for me, he took my baby away. My fiancé told me that he killed her, and he told me that he'd kill me if I ever told anyone about what he did."

Gabby hugs Casey tightly. "If your fiancé said that he'd kill you if you told someone about him, why did you just tell me everything that he did?" she asks worriedly, her eyes wide with fear. She stares into Casey's glimmering green eyes, which are identical to her own.

Casey hugs the small child back.

"I told you because he's dead now, but you can't tell anyone. Okay? Nobody knows about this, and nobody can know," Casey tells Gabby. Gabby relaxes. She pantomimes zipping her lips and throwing away the key. "I won't tell anyone...but may I ask you a question?" she says. Casey looks at the girl, then nods, "Alright..."

"Lisa and Liam don't care about me. They think I'm worthless. Do you think that my real parents would be proud of me?" Gabby asks.

Casey nods, giving the tiny child a small smile.

"They'd definitely be proud of you."


	7. Chapter 7

"Olivia, Elliot! You need to see this!" Melinda says, walking towards the detectives. She has Gabby's file in her hands.

Olivia and Elliot stand up. "What is it?" Elliot asks.

"The other day I was putting the results of the rape kit in Gabby's file. I saw that there was a copy of her birth certificate in her file. As I looked at the birth certificate, I saw Casey listed as Gabby's mother," Melinda begins.

Olivia furrows her brow. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. What? Are you sure it said Casey's name?" she asks.

Melinda nods. She opens the file and hands the birth certificate to Olivia. Olivia and Elliot look at it. Olivia scans the document for the mother's name. Sure enough, Casey is listed as the child's mother.

"Are you saying that Gabby is Novak's daughter?" Elliot questions.

"I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but I think you two need to speak with Casey," Melinda replies.

Suddenly, the two detectives and medical examiner hear the rhythmic clicking of high heels on the ground. They turn around and see Casey walking towards them. Olivia quickly shoves the birth certificate back into Gabby's file and closes it. "Hi, Casey," she greets casually.

Noticing Olivia's erratic handling of Gabby's file, Casey raises an eyebrow.

"Hello, Olivia..." she responds with growing suspicion. "Is there something going on?"

Olivia, Elliot, and Melinda exchange nervous glances. Casey clears her throat, causing them to look back at her. She stares at them, waiting for someone to talk.

Olivia sighs.

"Casey, we were looking through Gabby's file, and we found a copy of her birth certificate," she says, killing the mounting tension.

Casey feels her throat tighten. She bites her lip, anxiety building up inside of her. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other. Her eyes seems to be fixated on the tiled ground.

"You were listed as Gabby's mother," Elliot tells her.

"There are a lot of people share the same name as me," Casey blurts out, her voice more panicked than she would've liked.

Olivia opens Gabby's file and removes the birth certificate. She holds it towards Casey. "But how many people are named Cassandra Elizabeth Novak?" Olivia asks, trying to make eye contact with Casey, who keeps her eyes glued to the floor.

"Casey, is Gabby your daughter?" Melinda asks, her voice gentle but inquisitive.

Casey's teeth dig deeper into her lip, drawing blood. "I don't have a daughter. Now will you please excuse me? I have to prepare for court," she says dispassionately. She is surprised that she managed to speak without emotion. She curtly tells the detectives and medical examiner goodbye, then turns around. She walks away, trying to maintain a steady pace, so she won't cause any suspicion.

Knowing that she needs space right now, Olivia, Elliot, and Melinda don't make any attempts to follow Casey.

Safely locked up in her office, Casey pulls the blinds shut. She grabs a tissue and blots the clotting blood from her lips. The metallic taste in her mouth makes her gag a little. She crumples the tissue, then drops it into her trash can. As she sits back down, she unlocks one of the drawers in her desk. She pulls out her own copy of Gabby's file and starts shuffling through the paper in it.

She tries to focus her attention on the present and preparing for court, but her mind keeps straying to the past.

* * *

 _~ Flashback ~_

 _Panting heavily at 1:39 in the morning, twenty-three year old Casey falls back into the bed, her red hair plastered onto her sweat-dampened face. Tears trickle down her cheeks as she begs her fiancé, Charlie, to call an ambulance._

 _Casey screams, gripping the bloodied bed sheets as a contraction ripples through her. This earns her a painful slap across the face from Charlie._

 _"DAMMIT, CASEY! ARE YOU TRYING TO WAKE UP THE WHOLE FUCKING NEIGHBORHOOD!?" he yells in her face as rage bubbles up inside of him._

 _"Charlie, the baby's coming. Please, call an ambulance," Casey pleads in a hushed voice. "I promise not to tell them anything!"_

 _Charlie chuckles and shoots Casey a patronizing look. He tucks a damp lock of hair behind her ear. "You think I'd believe a whore like you?" he says._

 _Casey winces as another contraction grips her in its vices, her chest rapidly rising and falling. More tears stream down her face as the contraction's intensity grows. She_

 _This is not how Casey pictured the birth of her first child._

 _Ideally, she would've been a few years older and finished with law school. She would be married to the love of her live and be financially stable. Her husband would drive her to the hospital as soon as she felt the first real contraction. She'd be in a private birthing suite, hooked up to an epidural. Her obstetrician would check in on her periodically until she was ready to deliver. When she's finally be ready to deliver, her obstetrician would come into the room, fully outfitted in scrubs and protective gear for the birth. Her husband would be excited, but panicked. He get her ice chips and hold her hand. Casey would scream things at him that she'd later take back, and she'd deliver a healthy, full-term baby as her loving spouse coached her through the birth._

 _Her current birthing situation is far from ideal._

 _Right now Casey is laying in the bed that she shares with her fiancé. It's the same bed that he's repeatedly raped her in. She's been in labor for the past nineteen hours, confined to the small bedroom. Charlie screams at her, berating her because she hasn't delivered the baby yet. She is only thirty weeks pregnant, her labor brought on by the high levels of stress that she's been under. Charlie won't let her seek medical help because the voices in his head are telling him that he can deliver the baby by himself._

 _After several more agony-filled hours, Casey is finally ready to start pushing. She pushes for what seems like an eternity with Charlie screaming at her. Just when she thinks she can't go on any longer, she hears a feeble cry pierce the air._

 _With shaking hands, Casey slowly pulls back the bed sheet that is draped over her lower body. She hesitantly peers at the pool of blood between her legs, straining her neck._

 _A tiny, premature infant stares back at Casey with green eyes that are identical to her own._

 _Through her bleary, tear-filled eyes, Casey can tell that the baby is much smaller than it should be, even for a preemie._

 _She reaches down and carefully lifts the baby out of the blood-soaked sheets, gently cradling it with natural instinct. The baby's wails quiet to soft gurgles here and there when it's in Casey's arms._

 _"Good job," Charlie comments flatly before leaving the room._

 _Casey stares at the small infant in her arms. She feels her heart swell with immense joy and love - something she hasn't felt in a long time. She inspects the baby, learning that she gave birth to a little girl. More tears fall from her eyes, but these tears are different. They're not the same tears of anger, fear, or sadness that had been cried before. They're tears of joy._

 _Her joy is cut short when Charlie reenters the room._

 _Charlie makes his way towards the bed. He takes a picture of Casey and the baby, then he takes one of just the baby. Afterwards, he wordlessly snatches the infant away from Casey. He turns around, heading out of the bedroom._

 _"Charlie, please don't take her!" Casey cries as her tiny baby is ripped from her arms. She struggles in vain to get out of the bed, weak from blood loss. She begs Charlie to let her have a few more minutes with the baby, but her pleas are ignored._

 _The last thing she hears is the front door of the apartment open, then slam shut again._

 _~ End of Flashback ~_

* * *

A knock at the door brings Casey back to the present.

She looks up, still trembling at the memory.

The person at the door knocks again.

Casey forces herself out of her chair, unlocks her door, then opens it. She breathes a sigh of relief when she sees that it's just Olivia.

"May I help you?" she asks in a voice that's surprising calm for someone who's just relived over twenty-four hours of horror in the span of a few minutes.

Olivia immediately notices the look in Casey's eyes. She's seen that look before. A lot of the victims that she's spoken to have worn the same look. It's a look of fear, of helplessness.

"Hey, are you okay, Casey?" she asks quietly.

Casey nods and tells Olivia that she's fine. She asks if there's something she can help with again.

Deciding not to pry any further, so she won't upset the ADA, Olivia backs off. Instead, she asks Casey how Gabby's case is coming along, launching a brief discussion about the case. Once they wrap up their conversation, Olivia politely leaves Casey alone again.


	8. Chapter 8

"Gabby can't be my daughter...right?" Casey thinks to herself as she lays in her bed that night. She lies awake for hours, pondering her thoughts. By two o'clock in the morning, she eventually falls into a reluctant sleep.

* * *

When Casey enters the precinct, she finds everyone standing at the door, waiting for her. Even the two newer detectives, Nick Amaro and Amanda Rollins, are there.

She eyes everyone nervously.

"What's going on?" she questions, wondering if this is what criminals feel like when they're being interrogated.

Everyone greets her back. They all exchange unsure glances with each other. She hears someone murmur, "Who's gonna tell her?"

Someone gently shoves Olivia forward. Olivia shoots the person that pushed her a quick glare, then she gives Casey a small, sympathetic smile.

"Casey," she begins with a sigh. "Gabby told us that the names of the parents she lives with now and the names printed on her birth certificate are different. We ran a DNA test-"

"I need to start preparing Gabby for court. Where is she?" Casey interrupts, abruptly changing the subject. She is fearful of what Olivia might say next. She starts trying to walk around the group of people, but they block her attempts to leave.

Amanda, who happens to be the closest to Casey, gently grabs hold of the ADA's arm.

"Casey, she's going over her testimony with Huang. Please just listen," she says in a soft, nonthreatening voice.

Casey yanks her arm away from Amanda. "Touch me again, and I'll have you charged with assault!" she growls. She turns away and takes a step towards the door that she entered from. Ignoring various people trying to talk to her, she continues towards the door.

"Novak, if you go out that door, you're off the case!" Cragen warns sternly as Casey's hand reaches the door handle.

Casey pauses with the door cracked open. She takes a deep breath, but doesn't turn around. She has a firm grasp on the door's handle

"Casey, this is really important," Fin says, his voice much more gentle than it usually is.

Casey takes her hand off the door, letting it close, but she still doesn't turn around.

"Please, Casey...just listen to Liv," Munch says pleadingly.

Casey exhales slowly. She turns around and looks at everyone. "Okay. Proceed, Olivia," she concedes. She shifts her weight from foot to foot as Olivia resumes talking again.

"Casey, Liam really is Gabby's father. He legally changed his name from Charles to Liam after moving to New York," Olivia begins.

A lump forms in Casey's throat. She anxiously chews on her lip. She looks away from everyone, but doesn't stop Olivia from talking.

"We apprehended him and Lisa last night," Olivia says. She pauses, searching for the right words to continue with.

Much to her relief, Elliot steps forward, relieving Olivia of the pressure she felt to continue.

"Neither of them would cooperate with us, but Liam did say who Gabby's real mother is. He admitted that Lisa isn't the girl's mother. He told us that you are her biological mother. He refused to say anything else until he saw you," Elliot tells Casey.

Casey feels the lump in her throat grow. It suddenly feels like the walls are closing in on her. Her breaths are short and erratic. Her mind is spinning.

Olivia steps towards Casey, who flinches and backs away.

"Casey, is this true?" Cragen asks.

Casey finally lifts her head and looks at everyone. She has the wide, frightened eyes of a deer in the headlights of someone's car. She trembles as everyone stares at her.

"I thought he was dead," is all she chokes out in a barely audible whisper.


	9. Chapter 9

The next few moments are all a blur to Casey.

* * *

She remembers bolting out the door. She remembers running — not to any specific destination, just running. She remembers hearing Olivia calling to her. She remembers hearing the detective's footsteps chasing after her. She remembers Olivia catching up to her. She remembers agreeing to talk to Charlie, for the sake of Gabby. She remembers being brought back to the precinct. She remembers everyone being back at their desks, like nothing happened, when she re-enters the precinct.

As Olivia walks Casey through the precinct, she puts her hand on her back. She feels the young ADA trembling.

"Casey, you don't have to do this," Olivia tells her. Casey shakes her head. "No, Liv, I want to do this...for Gabby," she tells the detective. She lets Elliot and Olivia walk her into the interrogation room. They sit down in front of Charlie at the table — Elliot on the left, Casey in the middle, and Olivia on the right.

* * *

"No, no, no. Alone. I'll only speak if I can talk to her alone," Charlie states. The detective's look at each other, then they look at the still shaking ADA. They usher her out of the room.

Olivia puts a hand on Casey's shoulder and tells her once again that she doesn't have to do this. Casey insists that she's fine, and she shrugs off the detectives' concerns. She starts heading back to the interrogation room.

* * *

The moment Casey walks back into the interrogation room, alone, she feels trapped.

The sight of Charlie's face brings back a torrent of repressed memories. Looking into his icy, remorseless blue eyes releases the floodgates in her memory. A flood of flashbacks wash over Casey and suddenly, she is taken back to her first year of law school. She is brought back to that night, the night when Charlie raped her for the first time.

She is back in the tiny apartment that she and Charlie shared. She is back underneath him, pinned down by his weight. His hot, cigarette breath is back on the nape of her neck again. His grubby hands are back on her body, pawing at her breasts. She feels him back inside of her, violating her in the worst possible way. She is back in the past, reliving the first of many subsequent rapes.

 _Get a hold of yourself, Novak!_ Casey tells herself this as she makes her way over to the table. _He's handcuffed to a table that's been bolted onto the floor. You have the power, not him. Keep it together!_

Casey uncomfortably takes a seat in front of Charlie. He reaches out and strokes her cheek with his non-handcuffed hand, making her recoil backwards in fear and disgust. She scoots her chair back, far enough that she's out of his reach.

"Casey, you shouldn't have run away like that," Charlie tells the ADA. There is a hint of superiority in his saccharine voice.

"Charlie, you raped me for almost three years, and I was too scared to leave you. Then, you disappeared. I had an opportunity to flee, and I took it," Casey replies, her voice a lot calmer than she expected it to be.

Charlie smirks and raises an eyebrow. "Oh _really_? I _raped_ you?" he says in feigned disbelief. "If I remember correctly, you were coming like a fucking freight train during those times that I supposedly _'raped'_ you."

Casey knows that experiencing an orgasm during a rape doesn't equal consent. Charlie knows exactly what makes her body physically react from previously consensual encounters, and she knows that he was just using what was once consensual against her during the rapes. Despite this, she still can't help feeling like a dirty whore when she thinks about it. She cringes at the memory.

"Charlie, what happened after I gave birth?" Casey questions dispassionately, trying to change the subject. She wants to get out of Charlie's presence as soon as possible.

Charlie smugly grins at Casey and crosses his arms as best as he can while handcuffed to a leg of the table. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he questions with a raised eyebrow. Casey sighs and runs her hand through her ginger locks. She repeats her question in a more threatening tone.

"After you gave birth, I let you spend some time with our baby. I left the room to call an ambulance for you because I'm just _that_ nice. I left with the kid before the paramedics even arrived. I planned on killing the little bastard, but she just looked so much like you, and I knew that she'd be useful when she got older. I was right. She was of great use, to not only me, but my buddy Jason and tons of other guys. Those "pageants" that she does are gold mines. Even when the little bitch doesn't win, I _still_ have guys lining up to spend a night in the sack with her. She's made me rich! Oh, and about me being dead, I paid my brother five hundred dollars to call you and tell you that I hung myself. I needed some time to figure out what to do with the kid. I came back after things were worked out, and you were gone, but I managed to track you down. I've been following you from a distance since my alleged 'death,' knowing you'd come crawling back to me like the whore you are," Charlie casually tells Casey, a smirk still present on his lips.

Casey is shaking with a combination of terror and rage. She can't believe that she let herself believe that Charlie had hung himself, that he was out of her life forever. She also can't believe that he hid their daughter's existence while he practically pimped her out to a bunch of disgusting pedophiles.

"You told me she was dead," she plainly states, hiding any and all emotion that she's feeling.

Charlie shrugs with his arms still folded over his chest. An amused smirk is still spread across his face.

"And you believed me?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't know what to believe! I'd just given birth to a premature baby without any medical assistance! Hormones were running rampant through my body, and I was exhausted!" Casey snaps defensively.

Charlie winks at Casey and makes a sensual lip biting motion. "There's that fiery passion that I missed!" he growls seductively. He blows a kiss to Casey. He tries to reach for Casey again, but she pulls away quickly enough, so all he grabs is a handful of air. "Oh come on now! Don't be like that, baby," he says to Casey, "I know you want me."

"Cut the crap, Charlie. After what you've done to me, I'm never going back to you. Where is Jason Killicks?" Casey says.

Charlie smiles and shrugs. "Now you know I'm not going to just tell you that, sweetheart," he patronizes.

Casey tries again, but Charlie shuts her down.

After several more failed attempts at getting more information out of Charlie, Casey just walks out of the room.

* * *

"You did a good job in there, Case," Elliot tells the young ADA as she leaves the interrogation room. He gently pats her on the shoulder.

Casey shakes her head. "I didn't get any useful information out of him!" she says dejectedly. She sighs in defeat. Olivia tells her friend that she at least knows what really happened after she gave birth. Casey shrugs both detectives off and goes to her office, wishing that the day were over.

* * *

 **Hi, everyone! I apologize for not updating sooner! I was in Las Vegas, and I didn't have access to a computer, so I couldn't post new chapters. I'm back home now, and I hope to post more ASAP! Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

When she arrives back at her apartment, Casey she heads straight for her closet. She takes out the black box again and opens it.

Looking in through the box's contents, she silently marvels at the fact that her daughter is still alive. She finishes going through the photographs and documents in the box, then shoves back into the back of her closet.

She strips off her grey pencil skirt and matching blazer and removes her satin blouse. She replaces her work clothes with a pair of navy blue NYPD sweatpants and her Sex Crimes baseball tee. She climbs into bed, still astonished that her baby is alive.

As she lays in her bed, she tries to envision what her life would've been like had Charlie let her keep the baby. Would she still have graduated law school? Would she have delayed taking the Bar exam to care for her daughter? Hundreds of questions zoom through her mind at lightning speed.

Thinking about all of these hypothetical questions eventually wears Casey out, and she drifts into a restless slumber.

* * *

~ The Next Morning ~

Casey walks into the precinct and finds a note on her door telling her to see Captain Cragen. She takes the note off of her door, unlocks it, then enters her office. She places the note on her desk and sets her belongings down on her desk, before finding Cragen.

She finds the Captain sitting in his office. She softly knock on the door and peeks her head in. "You wanted to see me?" she says. Cragen motions for her to come in. She enters the room and closes the door behind her. Cragen tells her to take a seat, and she pulls up a chair in front of his desk.

"Casey, I'm taking you off of Gabby's case. I'm also sending you home for the rest of the day, so you can let yourself deal with all of the new information that's come up," Cragen tells the young ADA.

Casey jumps up from her chair. "You can't take me off this case! I've worked so hard on it!" she indignantly exclaims.

Cragen tells Casey to sit back down, and she does. He tells her that he believes she has become too emotionally invested in the case. He also tells her that he doesn't want her personal issues regarding Charlie to negatively affect the case.

"I need to be there for Gabby!" Casey says.

"You can be there for her, just not as her lawyer," Cragen tells her, "Casey, you can't argue with me about this. I'm sorry, but your past relationship with Mr. Williams complicates things. Cabot will be handling the case from now on"

Casey leaves the room in an angry huff and goes back to her office.

* * *

Back at her home, Casey changes out of her work clothes and slips on a pair of flannel pajama pants and a fitted white t-shirt.

She grabs her remote and turns the television on. The news story immediately grips her attention.

"Alleged child rapist, Charles Williams, also known as Liam Williams, has been released on bail a few hours ago. He made the following statement to reporters outside the courthouse: 'I'm coming for you, Casey Novak. I lost track of you once, but I've found you again. I'll make you regret leaving me!'" a reporter on the television states.

Casey feels a lump form in her throat. Her mouth goes dry. She starts shaking. Her phone rings, startling her. She rushes to answer it.

It's Cragen. He tells her that she's going to be taken to a safe home for the time being and that they're sending a squad car over to her apartment building, in case Charlie shows up there. Casey thanks the Captain, but assures him that she'll be fine in her apartment, then she hangs up.

She nervously paces around her apartment, trying to calm herself down. Cragen told her that the judge filed a temporary order of protection for Casey and Gabby, so Charlie isn't allowed get within two hundred feet of them. She keeps telling herself this, however, repeating this to herself doesn't help at all because she knows that Charlie will disobey the order if he's determined enough.

She hears a knock at the door. She cautiously makes her way to her door, hoping that it's just the police that Cragen sent against her objection. She looks through the peephole.

It isn't the police.

It's Charlie.

* * *

"Open up! I know you're in there!" Casey hears Charlie bark.

She starts to back away from her door, praying that this is all just a vivid nightmare.

Suddenly, Charlie kicks the door down. He stomps into Casey's apartment and approaches her.

Casey backs up, finally hitting a wall.

"You bitch! You left me to live in this cushy apartment, while I'm living in a dilapidated piece of shit!" he yells, grabbing Casey's arm and jerking it roughly towards him.

"Charlie, you paid you brother to tell me that you were dead! What the hell did you expect me to do!?" Casey fire back, pushing Charlie away from her.

Charlie grabs Casey's shoulders and pins her to the wall. "You disloyal little slut! I'm gonna make you pay for leaving me!" he growls. He relaxes his grip on her shoulders and spins her around, so here face is pressed against the wall. He twists her arms behind her back and holds her wrists. "If you resist, I'll kill Gabbi," he threatens.

Casey stops fighting Charlie. She doesn't want him to cause Gabbi anymore suffering. Charlie pulls her away from the wall and ushers her out of her apartment.

Charlie throws Casey into the backseat of his car. He binds her wrists and ankles with duct tape, then puts cloth in her mouth to gag her. He slams the door shut and slides into the driver's seat. He speeds away, leaving skid marks on the street.


	11. Chapter 11

When Charlie finally parks his car, Casey doesn't know how he'd been driving. She estimates that at least several hours have passed. She knows that she isn't in New York anymore, since she studied where Charlie was driving, taking mental notes of where she was. When Charlie noticed her doing this, he blindfolded her shortly after they left New York.

She sees Charlie pull up to a familiar, dilapidated little house.

It's where she and Charlie used to live back when she was still attending Harvard Law School.

Charlie parks his car behind the house, then he gets out. He opens the door to the backseat, uses his pocket knife to cut away the duct tape around Casey's ankles, then roughly escorts her into their former home.

* * *

"Look what my old buddy, Jason, set up for us. Those prison guards are idiots! They thought that I was making living arrangements for myself after Lisa paid my bail," Charlie says to Casey, holding onto her bound wrists with one hand and gesturing to the inside of a room with the other.

Casey looks into the dingy room, which used to be her and Charlie's bedroom.

There is an old mattress lying in the middle of the room. Scattered around the mattress are lengths of rope, handcuffs, lingerie, two different television monitors, and a camera on a tripod.

* * *

Charlie, still holding onto Casey's wrists, walks to the pile of lingerie next to the mattress. He picks up a hanger. Attached to it is a matching bra, underwear, and fishnet set. He picks up a pair of black stiletto heels, then he hands everything to Casey. "Why don't you change into something a little more comfortable?" he tells her in a suggestive tone. Casey knows that this isn't an actual suggestion. She knows that it's an order, which could result in her being injured if not followed.

She sighs yieldingly, and Charlie uses his pocket knife to cut the duct tape away from her wrists. She begins to strip off her clothing. She turns away from Charlie, trying to ignoring the growing bulge in his pants. She replaces her clothing and undergarments with the lingerie provided for her. She stiffly pulls on the thigh-high fishnet stockings and slips her feet into the heels.

Now fully changed into the set of lingerie, Casey feels extremely exposed. She's always been a more private person. Her desire to keep things private only increased after Charlie began the domestic abuse. She continues to stand with her back turned to her former fiancé.

Charlie turns Casey around and looks her up and body, admiring her body. He licks his lips lasciviously and nods in approval.

Even in the six-inch stilettos, Casey is still considerably shorter than him. She sheepishly crosses her arms over her body, trying to hide herself, although she is fully aware that Charlie's seen her in some of her most intimate moments. She stares at the floor, desperately wishing for the cover of her sweatpants and baseball tee. She longingly looks at her heap of clothing on the floor.

"I have one more surprise for you, Casey," Charlie says smugly. He grabs her wrists again and walks her over to the tiny closet in the upper left corner of the room. He opens the door and motions inside.

* * *

It's Gabby.

She is sitting in a wooden chair, her arms and legs tied up. Her torso is also tied to the chair. A large piece of duct tape covers her small mouth. Through the rope wound around the child's torso, arms, and legs, Casey can tell that Gabby is wearing a miniature version of her lingerie set.

Gabby looks at Charlie and Casey wide-eyed and fearful.

"You New Yorkers are pretty dumb. With a little bit of hair dye and a pair of sunglasses, Lisa was able to pick Gabby right up from her rehearsal. I had her bring her here. I bet your detective friend is worried out of her mind about the kid. It's quite a shame that she'll never be able to find little Gabby here," Charlie tells Casey. He sighs contentedly, then looks at Casey. "So? What do you think? I've reunited our happy little family once again," he says to her. He smirks at her. He pretend to remember the duct tape over her mouth. "Oh, silly me! You can't talk. Let me get that for you!" he says, feigning nonchalance. He loudly tears the silver tape off of Casey's mouth.

Ignoring the stinging in her lips, Casey jerks her wrists out of Charlie's firm grip. She kneels next to Gabby and comfortingly hugs her. "I think you're sick!" she tells Charlie, glaring daggers at him.

"Casey!" Gabby cries out, grateful to see the ADA.

Casey gently caresses the tiny girl's cheek. "Oh, honey..." she says softly as she gets to work untying the rope around Gabby's wrists. "I understand that you're upset with me, but you didn't have to bring her into this!" she says to Charlie, giving up on the knot that binds Gabby's wrists. She is able to quickly untie the rope around the the child's torso, since the knot was becoming loosened as she breathed. She unties Gabby's legs and ankles, before she finally frees Gabby's arms and wrists. She picks up the shaking girl and holds her close.

"Charlie, I've had enough of this. I'm done. I can handle whatever you want to do with me, but Gabby is innocent in all of this. I can't let you hurt her anymore!" Casey tells Charlie, brushing past him with Gabby in her arms.

* * *

The sound of Charlie cocking the pistol, which was concealed in his waistband, stops Casey dead in her tracks. She turns around to see Charlie aiming a gun and her head.

"You aren't going anywhere," Charlie informs her.

Casey sighs and puts the arm that she's not holding Gabby with up in surrender.

"Okay, okay. Don't shoot. Do whatever you want to me, but please, don't hurt Gabby," she pleads.

Charlie grins nefariously. He takes Gabby from Casey's arms and throw her over his shoulder.

"You," he says, pointing to Casey. "On the mattress!"

Casey reluctantly obeys and she sits down on top of the springy mattress. She keeps a careful eye on Charlie as he locks Gabby in the tiny, dark closet. He returns to Casey and puts his gun down next to the mattress. He picks up a remote for the camera.

"Just like old times," he growls in Casey's ear. He clicks a button, making the camera's red light turn on, indicating that it's recording. He straddles Casey and pushes her down onto the mattress.

Then, he violates her in the worst possible way.


	12. Chapter 12

"You're detective friends are gonna love this," Charlie comments smugly. He gets off of Casey and turns his camera off. He smirks at her, then zips up his pants and walks out of the room.

When Charlie is finished with her, Casey doesn't move from the spot she was raped in.

She just continues to lay there in disbelief. She can't believe that she orgasmed while being raped. Not only that, but her rapist caught it on video.

Casey continues to tell herself that having an orgasm does not equal consent, but that does little to assuage her.

* * *

Charlie uploads the video that he took onto his laptop, then he burns it onto a DVD. He calls his younger brother and instructs him to drop the DVD off at the Precinct.

* * *

After his brother picks up the DVD and leaves, Charlie goes back to his former bedroom.

"Your friends are in for one hell of a surprise when my brother drops off my little DVD," he casually tells her.

He saunters over to Casey, a smirk across his lips. He sits next to her on the mattress. He strokes her hair the way someone would pet a dog.

"Ready for round two, sweetheart?" he asks softly, caressing Casey's cheek. She shies away from his touch, repulsed.

He stands up and unzips his pants, still smirking.

* * *

~ Several Hours Later ~

Charlie's litter brother, Dave walks into the 16th Precinct. He passes by a uniformed officer that's exiting, and he stops him and asks him where he can the Special Victims Unit. The officer directs him towards SVU, then leaves.

Dave quickly navigates the precinct, passing several units until he finds SVU.

He looks around, and Amanda approaches him.

"Can I help you with something, sir?" Amanda asks.

"Umm...yeah. Are you an SVU detective?" Dave responds.

Amanda nods and introduces herself. She shakes Dave's hand.

Dave unzips his coat and removes a thin plastic case from a pocket on the inside of it. He holds it towards Amanda.

"I was asked to give this to someone in SVU," he tells her. He hands her the case, which contains the DVD.

Amanda looks at the case, then she looks back at Dave.

"What is this?" she questions.

"I don't know. I was just told to hand this to the first SVU detective I saw," Dave answers.

Amanda nods slowly. She hands the case back to Dave. She asks him to take it to Captain Cragen. Dave shrugs and agrees to give the DVD to Cragen. He follows Amanda to the captain's office.

* * *

Amanda knocks on Captain Cragen's door, and he tells her to come in.

"Hey, Captain. This young man has a DVD that he was told to give to 'the first SVU detective he saw,'" Amanda informs Cragen.

Dave hands the DVD case to Cragen.

Cragen looks at the case and asks Dave a few questions, most of which he doesn't know the answer to. Dave is hesitant to questions that he does know the answers to. He attempts to leave, but Amanda stops him.

"Son, if there's something illegal on this DVD, you could be in serious trouble. If you have information, I highly suggest that you tell it to Captain Cragen," Amanda says to Dave.

Dave sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He gives Amanda and Cragen all the information that he knows, which isn't a lot. After that, they thank and dismiss him.

By the time Dave is gone, Amanda and Cragen know that Charlie gave Dave the DVD, where Charlie is, and Dave's contact information (in case something comes up and they need him again).

* * *

Cragen rounds up the SVU detectives, brings them to one of the television screens that is used to view evidence and leads, and announces that he may have a lead to Casey's whereabouts.

The detectives have been searching for Casey ever since the officers that Cragen sent to take her to a safe home realized that she is missing. They've also been searching for Gabby ever since she went missing from her rehearsal.

Amanda explains the story behind the DVD, then she inserts it into the disc drive that's connected to the screen. She presses a button on the screen's remote, and a video begins to play.

The detectives intently stare at the monitor, not knowing what they're about to see.


	13. Chapter 13

"Hello, SVU detectives! I bet you're all wondering where your precious little ADA is. You're also probably wondering where the little bastard that you call 'Gabby' is too. Well, here they are..." Charlie says in the video. His tone is calm with underlying hints of smugness in it. He is standing in front of the camera, which appears to be on a tripod.

In the video, Charlie walks over to the camera and takes it off its tripod. He pans the camera towards Gabby, who is crying and shaking. She is dressed in the same set of lingerie that Charlie made Casey wear. She is sitting in a chair, tied up.

"I want to go home! Please! I want to go back to Olivia!" Gabby desperately pleads.

Charlie laughs at the trembling child. He tells her that he can do whatever he wants with her because he's her father.

The detectives keep watching the video. They quickly turn it off after Casey's part comes on.

* * *

"We have to find them!" Fin states.

"What was the address that Dave gave you?" Elliot asks. Amanda hands him the piece of paper that Dave scribbled the address on. He reads it aloud.

"That's in Massachusetts!" Nick comments. He starts pull up directions to the address on his cell phone. "We better get a move on before Charlie realizes that we know where he is!"

The detectives pair off with their partners, and Cragen notifies the Cambridge Police Department (CPD) about Charlie.

After Cragen confers with the CPD, he gives everyone instructions, then they head to Cambridge, Massachusetts.

* * *

 **I'm sorry that this is so short! This story is coming to an end soon, but do not fear! I have a sequel planned! Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a review! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

When the detectives arrive at Charlie's house in Massachusetts, it is deserted.

They burst through the door, only to find the old mattress with an open laptop sitting on it. There is a note stuck to the laptop's screen.

 _You're a little too late! Casey is gone. Watch this video, and maybe you'll be able to find her this time._

Olivia reads the note aloud and calls everyone over, before she uses a gloved hand to click the "play" button.

The video shows Casey and Gabby tied up and gagged. Charlie is standing behind them with a pleased smirk. "Hello, detectives! I seen that you've found my old house. It's quite a shame that we're not there at the moment. I bet you want your precious little lawyer back. All you need to do is make the charges disappear, and she's all yours. Hell, I'll even throw in the little brat if you get me acquitted. I've invited some friends over to keep Casey and Gabby company until you come," he says to the camera. The video fades to black, and a riddle appears on the screen.

 **Figure it out before it's too late. From where did Casey graduate? Time is ticking. How long will you take? Here's a hint: think of a lake.**

The answer to the riddle is Charlie, Casey, and Gabby's whereabouts

"Casey graduated from Harvard Law School, and the video said think of a lake. What lake is closest to Harvard?" Olivia says.

The detectives do some quick research, locate a lakehouse near Harvard Law School, then they head for Casey and Gabby.

* * *

Olivia and Elliot are the first to arrive at Charlie's location that was in the video. Amanda and Nick arrive shortly thereafter.

Once everyone arrives, they make a plan. Amanda and Nick will enter the house through the front door. Olivia and Elliot will sneak through the back door. Everyone else will cover an exit, so Charlie can't escape.

They set their plan in motion.

Amanda and Nick are able to slip into the house through the unlocked front door. Olivia and Elliot stealthily enter via the back door.

"Charles Williams?" Nick calls out, gun drawn.

Charlie appears, seemingly out of thin air.

"Hello, detectives," he says, sauntering towards them. "It's so nice of you to join us."

"Where are they?" Amanda asks sternly.

"Clear my name, and they're all yours," Charlie replies.

While Amanda and Nick distract Charlie with negotiations, Olivia and Elliot scour the house for Casey and Gabby.

* * *

Olivia hears a soft moaning sound. She listens closely, trying to identify the moans' source.

She presses her ear against a door. The moaning is loudest with her ear pressed to the door. She tells Elliot that she may have found them.

They try to open the door, but it's locked.

Elliot announces that he's going to bust the door open, and he tells whoever is behind the door to get away from it. He forcefully rams into the door, making it swing open.

He and Olivia find Casey with her hands tied behind her back. Three men stand around her. One is holding her down, another is groping at her breasts, and the third is raping by her.

The three men are so engrossed in assaulting Casey that Olivia and Elliot go unnoticed.

"NYPD!" Olivia yells, gun drawn. She then radios in, informing everyone that Casey has been located.

Two of the men stop and turn around. They put their arms up. The one on top of Casey continues to rape her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! We were just having some fun with this little whore! No need to whip your gun out! Last time I checked, rough sex wasn't a crime!" the man raping Casey says with a smug laugh.

"It's a crime when it's nonconsensual," Olivia states.

"Get off of her, you twisted asshole!" Elliot commands, pulling the guy off of Casey and throwing him into a wall.

Officers from the Cambridge Police Department enter the room. They arrest the three men while Olivia and Elliot help Casey.

"Casey, you're safe now," Olivia says softly as Elliot wraps his NYPD jacket around Casey's thin frame, trying to preserve cover her exposed body.

"Where is Gabby?" Elliot asks.

Casey shrugs. She tells the detectives that she doesn't know. "Charlie brought me to those three men before I could see what he did with Gabby. The last time I saw her, she was sitting next to me, gagged and tied up," she says.

* * *

Cambridge police officers arrest Charlie and take him down to their precinct for questioning. Amanda and Nick search the house for Gabby. They split up. Amanda scours the second floor of the house, and Nick stays on the first floor.

* * *

Amanda comes across a darkened hallway. One of the two lightbulb a is burned out, and the other is dim and not far from also burning out. Amanda's hands hover over her gun, ready to draw it out at any moment as she ventures down the hall.

"Gabby?" she calls out.

No response.

She walks a few more steps down the hall and calls out Gabby's name again. There still isn't a response.

She nears the end of the hall, and the dim light reflecting off a doorknob catches her eye. She tries calling Gabby's name one more time.

"Gabby?" she calls out.

"A-A-Amanda?" she hears a familiar child's voice stutter.

* * *

 **Hi everyone! I am so sorry for not updating sooner! I got hit with a massive case of writer's block, and school got in the way of my writing. Now that it's summer time, I hope to write and update more frequently! I still have a sequel planned for this story - I'm just working on organizing my thoughts and ideas for it. I hope to get crackin' on it soon though! As always, I appreciate your support and love reading your reviews. Thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

"GABBY!" Amanda shouts.

"I'm in here!" Gabby tells her, jiggling the doorknob.

Amanda runs to the closet at the end of the hall and tries to open it. It's locked. Gabby tells her that Charlie used a key to lock it from the outside. Amanda tells her to stand back because she's going to kick the door in. Gabby complies with the detective's instruction and backs away from the door. Then, on the count of three, Amanda kicks open the door.

"AMANDA!" Gabby cries joyously. She runs into the detective's arms and hugs her tight. Amanda scoops the tiny girl into her arms and hugs her back. She notices that Gabby is clothed in only the lingerie Charlie put her in, and she takes off her NYPD jacket and wraps it around the child's thin, shivering body. Then, she brings her downstairs and meets up with everyone else.

* * *

Olivia and Elliot go with Casey and Gabby to Massachusetts General Hospital while Amanda and Nick go down the the Cambridge Police Department's precinct to help with questioning Charlie.

* * *

Once Casey and Gabby have rape kits done, they are brought to private hospital rooms to give Olivia and Elliot their statements.

Olivia and Elliot decide to talk with Casey first, so Gabby can rest.

* * *

"Casey, can you tell us what happened?" Olivia asks ADA.

Casey nods stoically. She takes a deep breath and begins telling the detectives everything.

"I had just gotten of the phone with Cragen. He told me that he'd sent police officers to take me to a safe house after Charlie threatened me on the news. Then, I heard a knock at my door. I checked through the peephole, and it was Charlie. He kicked my door down. He was yelling at me, and he threatened to kill Gabby if I resisted. He took me to his car and bound my wrists, ankles, and mouth with duct tape. Then, he speed off. We drive for a long time. I was taking mental notes of everything we passed, but he noticed me doing this and blindfolded me. He took me to the house we used to live in while I was in law school. He made me change into lingerie. He told me he had a surprise for me...He brought me to Gabby. She was wearing a matching set of lingerie. I untied her and tried to leave, but Charlie threatened us with his gun. I didn't want him to shoot, so I obeyed. He put Gabby in a closet, then...he raped me," Casey trails off.

Olivia nods sympathetically, writing down everything the ADA says.

Casey bites her lip. She sighs, willing herself to continue.

"When Charlie was finished raping me, he just left. He went into another room for a little while. Then, he called someone. A man came to the house, and he and Charlie talked a little bit. When the man left, Charlie can back. He said something about you all being in for a big surprise when a DVD got dropped off. Then...he raped me again. After that, he took me and Gabby to his family's lakehouse. There were three men waiting for us when we got there. Charlie took Gabby upstairs, and he just let the men have at me. They took turns...raping me and holding me down," Casey tells Olivia and Elliot.

Casey fails to stifle the tears any longer. Elliot hands her a box of tissues. She takes one and dabs her eyes.

"I can't believe I let this happen to Gabby!" Casey cries.

"It's not your fault, Case," Elliot gently assures her.

* * *

After taking Casey's statement, Olivia and Elliot go to Gabby's room to talk with her.


	16. Chapter 16

Once Olivia and Elliot take Gabby's statement, they leave Massachusetts General Hospital and head back to New York.

* * *

During the next few days, Gabby and Casey are transferred to Bellevue Hospital, the three men who raped Casey are out on trial in Massachusetts, and Charlie comes out of arraignment with a yet-to-be-paid one and a half million dollar bail.

* * *

After being released from the hospital, Casey becomes withdrawn from everyone and refuses to acknowledge everything that happened with Charlie and Gabby. She avoids Gabby at all costs, and Cragen puts her on paid leave until the end of Charlie's trial.

Gabby continues to stay with Olivia. Between prepping for the trial and throwing herself into her show rehearsals and performances, she's been working herself to the bone.

* * *

When the trial finally rolls around, Gabby and Casey's anxiety puts them more on edge than ever.

Gabby's anxiety manifests itself through an insatiable need to be occupied, so she won't have to think about the trial. Meanwhile, Casey's anxiety manifests itself through complete withdrawal. She refuses to leave her apartment or talk to anyone - especially Alex Cabot, who is representing her and Gabby in court - unless it is absolutely necessary.

* * *

The trial is off to a rough start.

On the first day, Charlie glares menacingly at Gabby as she's testifying, scaring her so much that she freezes mid-sentence.

On the second day, Charlie's lawyer sandbags Alex when he announces that Charlie is changing his plea from "not guilty" to "not guilty by reason of insanity" for all charges.

On the third day, Casey nearly has a nervous breakdown on the stand while Charlie's defense attorney badgers her about her compliance after Charlie threatened her with his gun.

Alex Cabot does not go into day four of the trial with very high hopes.

* * *

~ Several Weeks Later ~

On the final day of the trial, tensions run high.

Charlie and his lawyer are confident that they've won the case. The SVU squad doesn't know what the jury will decide, but they hope for the best. Neither Gabby nor Casey is optimistic.

While the jury deliberates, Casey nervously

paces back and forth. Olivia paces with Gabby in her arms. Elliot taps his foot impatiently. Alex sorts through her notes on the case, trying to distract herself.

* * *

When the court reconvenes a few days later, everyone anxiously awaits the verdict.

"Unfortunately, the jury has deadlocked. I declare a mistrial. Mr. Williams, you will be tried for the same charges in front of a new jury at a later time. Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, the state of New York thanks you for your time. Case dismissed," the judge announces to the courtroom.

The SVU squad lets out a collective groan.

* * *

Casey winces when the judge gives her verdict. She shrugs off her friends' attempts to comfort her. She brushes past the exiting jurors and bolts out of the courthouse.

She runs to her car, gets in, and starts driving.

She doesn't know where she's going.

But she knows that she just has to get out of New York City.

* * *

Hi y'all! Thank you so much for reading! This story gas reached its end. I appreciate all of the support and kind reviews I've gotten. This is the first fanfic that I've ever completed, and I've had so much fun writing it! I can't wait to post the sequel to this story. I already have the first chapter written, so be on the look out! Once again, thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review! :)


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